Art Linkletter, radio-TV host
The native of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan possessed a kindly, mischievous nature that was particularly appealing to kids, and he was able to coax "the darndest things" out of them during his trademark interviews with schoolchildren on radio and TV show House Party. A national fixture for decades, Linkletter at one point had five shows running concurrently on network TV. Died May 26 at his Bel Air home at age 97.
Arthur Penn, director
His films often flew in the face of American mythology, no more so than the polarizing Bonnie and Clyde. A product of the golden era of live television and an accomplished theater director, Penn’s work on The Miracle Worker earned him an Emmy nomination in 1957, a Tony in 1959 and an Oscar nom in 1962. At one time, Penn had five hits running simultaneously on Broadway. Died Sept. 28 of congestive heart failure in New York one day after his 88th birthday.
Daniel Schorr, broadcast journalist
He likened his TV coverage to that of a hard-nosed newspaper investigative journalist, one who researches an area extensively and then queries his interviewee with authority. His often controversial career spanned six decades, beginning as one of Edward R. Murrow’s recruits at CBS. Schorr joined CNN in 1979, becoming the nucleus of the fledgling cable outfit’s foray into round-the-clock news, and since 1985 he served as an analyst at NPR. Died July 23 in Washington after a short illness at age 93.
David Brown, producer
In partnership with Richard D. Zanuck, the Thalberg Award winners produced some of the most memorable films of the last quarter of the 20th century, including Jaws, The Sting, The Verdict and Cocoon. His films were nominated for four best-picture Oscars, he brought Elvis Presley to the big screen for the first time in Love Me Tender, and he talked George C. Scott into playing Patton. Died Feb. 1, 2010 in his New York home following a long illness at age 93.
David L. Wolper producer
He made TV history and pioneered the docudrama genre with the 1977 ratings juggernaut Roots. A showman in the broadest sense — he worked on the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles — Wolper's projects won more than 50 Emmys, five Peabody Awards, eight Golden Globes and one Oscar. He also produced several films, including Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and L.A. Confidential. Died Aug. 10 of congestive heart disease and Parkinson's disease at his home in Beverly Hills at age 82.
Dennis Hopper, actor
A personification of Hollywood rebellion, both on screen and off, Hopper biked to fame as director/co-writer and finger-flashing cyclist in 1969's Easy Rider. Hopper anarchic off-screen moves and drug use in the first half of his life cost him dearly in terms of his career, but later in life he straightened out and worked regularly. He also was nominated for an Oscar for his performance as an alcoholic high school basketball coach in Hoosiers. Died May 29, 2010 at his home in Venice, Calif., after a long battle of prostate cancer at age 74.
Ed Limato, agent
A powerful industry player for more than three decades, Limato repped some of the highest-profile actors in the business, including Richard Gere, Denzel Washington, Steve Martin and the frequently embattled Mel Gibson. Although Limato spent much of his career at ICM, he left that agency in summer 2007 during a restructuring shake-up to rejoin WMA, where he had worked from 1978-88. He stayed on after the merger with Endeavor to make the transition to the new WME. Died July 3, 2010 of lung disease at his Beverly Hills home age 73.
Edwin Newman, broadcast journalist
A stickler for grammar and the English language who served NBC News for 32 years, Newman was one of the most respected men in broadcast news. He received a Peabody Award in 1966 for wit and depth of understanding for his radio news broadcasts, worked as a Broadway critic and twice hosted Saturday Night Live. Died Aug. 13 in Oxford, England of pneumonia Aug. 13 at age 91.
Fess Parker, actor
His stint on TV as a 6-foot-5 coonskin-capped Davy Crockett in the 1950s made him a lifelong favorite of baby boomers everywhere. His casting was a bit of a fluke; Walt Disney was screening the sci-fi movie Them! and looking at James Arness for the role, but Parker, in a bit role as a man frightened by an alien encounter, caught Disney's eye. Parker, while studying drama at the University of Texas, was discovered by actor Adolphe Menjou. Died March 17, 2010 of natural causes at his home in California's Santa Ynez Valley at age 85.
Gloria Stuart, actress
The leading lady of the 1930s enjoyed a career revival for her Oscar-nominated performance as Old Rose in 1997's Titanic. The spry, engaging actress became the oldest Oscar nominee when, at age 88, she was nominated for a role for which she needed old-age makeup. Decades earlier, she starred in such films as The Invisible Man and Gold Diggers of 1935. Died Sept. 26, 2010 of respiratory failure in her sleep at her Los Angeles home at age 100.
Jean Simmons, actress
The lovely, ethereal film star played Ophelia to Laurence Olivier's Hamlet, sang with Marlon Brando in Guys and Dollsand played opposite Gregory Peck, Paul Newman and Kirk Douglas. Simmons was nominated for two Oscars and won an Emmy for her work in 1980s miniseries The Thorn Birds. On her move to Hollywood from Britain, Simmons was flabbergasted to learn that Howard Hughes had bought her “like a piece of meat.” Died Jan. 22, 2010 of lung cancer at her home in Santa Monica at age 80.
Jill Clayburgh, actress
Her Oscar-nominated performance in An Unmarried Woman as someone who suddenly finds herself single after a divorce reflected the growing women’s liberation movement. With willowy good looks, an edgy verve and singing ability, Clayburgh, also Oscar nominated for her work in Starting Over, was a versatile talent with a distinctive style that one observer characterized as "winsome naturalness." Died Nov. 5, 2010 of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in her home as Lakeville, Conn., at age 66.
Ken Orsatti, negotiator
His work as SAG’s chief mediator with the studios led members to record-setting earnings and a dramatic expansion of the union’s contracts. Known for his easy demeanor, Orsatti was SAG national executive director from 1981-2001 and negotiated about 20 major contracts. He announced his retirement shortly after the guild’s only strike during his tenure — a 2000 dispute over residuals from cable commercials that another negotiator handled. Died Aug. 31, 2010 of pulmonary disease in West Hills, Calif., at age 78.
Lena Horne, singer-actress
She began her show business career during the 1930s as a dancer at the Cotton Club in Harlem and was the first black singer to tour with a white band when she sang for the Charlie Barnet Orchestra during the '40s. Her sultry vocals and lithe beauty paved the way for black actresses and singers, and her rendition of “Stormy Weather" in the 1943 Fox musical vaulted her to stardom and became a classic. Died May 9, 2010 at age 92.
Leslie Nielsen, actor
He’s best remembered for Airplane! and as Lt. Frank Drebin in The Naked Gun series on TV and films, but Nielsen began his 60-year-plus career as a serious actor. His work as the king of France in the Paramount operetta The Vagabond King (he called it The Vagabond Turkey) earned him a seven-year contract at MGM, and he starred in 1956's Forbidden Planetfor that studio. Died Nov. 28, 2010 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., of complications from pneumonia at age 84.
Mitch Miller, music executive-orchestra leader
Before asking Americans to “Sing Along With Mitch” on records and on NBC in the early 1960s, Miller was a key executive at Columbia Records in the pre-rock ’n’ roll era, making hits with Rosemary Clooney, Patti Page, Johnny Mathis and Tony Bennett. On TV, viewers were invited to join in with lyrics superimposed on the screen and follow a bouncing ball. Died July 31, 2010 in New York after a short illness at age 99.
Patricia Neal, actress
In February 1965 after the first day of filming Seven Women, Neal — then 39 and three months pregnant — suffered three strokes caused by a brain hemorrhage as she was bathing her 8-year-old daughter. She was in a coma for three weeks but returned to acting. Most identifiable playing characters of strong will, Neal won an Oscar for Hud opposite Paul Newman. Died Aug. 8, 2010 of lung cancer in Edgartown, Mass., at age 84.
Robert F. Boyle, art-set-production director
The four-time Academy Award nominee for art and set direction was a recipient of an honorary Oscar for his work on nearly 90 films in a six-decade career. His credits include North by Northwest, Fiddler on the Roof, The Wolf Man, Gaily, Gaily, The Shootist, Cape Fear, The Birds, In Cold Blood, The Thomas Crown Affair, and Private Benjamin. Died Aug. 1, 2010 of natural causes in Los Angeles at age 100.
Tony Curtis, actor
A flamboyant personality with a ribald wit and zest for the high life, Bernie Schwartz of the Bronx epitomized the storied glamour of old Hollywood. Curtis grew beyond his start as a studio-groomed matinee idol to play snappily seductive schemers in such 1950s classics as The Sweet Smell of Success and Some Like It Hot. Died Sept. 29, 2010 of cardiac arrest in Henderson, Nev., at age 85.
Ronni Chasen, publicist
Her Nov. 16, 2010 shooting death just after midnight as she was returning from the L.A. premiere of Burlesque continues to keep Hollywood riveted even as Beverly Hills police say the case is closed. Chasen began her career in 1973, worked at MGM and Rogers & Cowen and then struck out on her own. Her tireless efforts helped his clients capture seven best picture Oscar trophies for films including Driving Miss Daisy, Slumdog Millionaire and The Hurt Locker.
Tom Bosley, actor
The good-natured patriarch on ABC's Happy Days for more than a decade served as an American father figure for millions of TV viewers. Bosley played Howard Cunningham on more than 250 episodes of Garry Marshall's sitcom. which ran on Tuesday nights from 1974-84. TV Guide ranked Bosley's character No. 9 on its list of its 50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time in 2004. Died Oct. 19, 2010 of heart failure at a hospital in Rancho Mirage, Calif., at age 83.
Dino De Laurentiis, producer
He produced more than 500 films in his 70-year career, including Serpico, War and Peace, Dune and King Kong, while worked with the likes of Federico Fellini, Roberto Rossellini and King Vidor. A wheeling, dealing and scheming operator who never exactly acquired first-class taste but made a lot of interesting things happen, De Laurentiis won an Oscar for Fellini's La Strada and was given the Thalberg Award in 2001. Died Nov. 10, 2010 at his Beverly Hills home at age 91.
Marty Baum, agent
He helped forge CAA into a powerhouse when he joined the fledgling agency in 1976 – then TV-centric — and eventually brought with him film clients Paul Newman, Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford and others. A former Broadway talent agent, Baum also produced eight-time Oscar winner Cabaretand other features for ABC’s Motion Pictures arm. Died Nov. 5, 2010 at his home in Beverly Hills at age 86. (Pictured on the upper left.)
Stephen J. Cannell, writer-producer
His credits are so numerous it’s nearly impossible to tabulate his work, which ranged from writing episodes of Ironsidein 1970 to a producer credit on this year’s feature The A-Team, based on the 1980s series Cannell co-created and executive produced. He wrote or co-wrote more than 300 TV scripts and produced or exec produced more than 520 episodes. The indefatigable Cannell was nominated for six Emmys and won once: best drama series for The Rockford Files in 1978. Died Sept. 30, 2010 of melanoma at his home in Pasadena at age 69.
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